President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will double tariffs on India in 21 days if the country continues importing oil from Russia.
In a formal White House proclamation, Trump said India’s refusal to cut off Russian energy purchases during the war in Ukraine has forced the U.S. to take economic action.
“I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump wrote. “Accordingly… articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25 percent.”
This would raise the total tariff rate on Indian imports from 25% to 50%.
India Among Russia’s Top Energy Buyers
According to Reuters, India has been importing roughly 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian crude between January and June of this year, making it one of the Kremlin’s biggest oil customers.
Trump imposed an initial 25% tariff on India on July 30, warning that the U.S. would not tolerate a key trade partner propping up Russia while refusing to cooperate on global security efforts.
Trump: “India Can’t Have It Both Ways”
In a Truth Social post, Trump reminded followers that India has long imposed massive tariffs and brutal trade barriers on American companies—while simultaneously benefiting from cheap Russian oil and military deals.
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World,” Trump said.
“They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY… at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!”
Economic Pressure Campaign on Russia
The move is part of Trump’s broader strategy to squeeze Russia economically while diplomatic negotiations with Vladimir Putin stall.
The White House has warned of secondary sanctions on any nation helping Moscow evade U.S. pressure, including countries importing key Russian exports like oil, gas, and weapons.
